


Part of the Beauty

by vivaforever597



Category: Free!
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 13:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaforever597/pseuds/vivaforever597
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kou learns what Rei's been trying to keep to himself. Because I'm still mad about how Rei was treated in the finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Part of the Beauty

Kou slid the door open, her ear drawn to the room by the strange sound from within. It sounded like crying, but after the team's great success (disqualification notwithstanding), who could be upset? she wondered. She peered inside, for some reason reluctant to disturb who- or whatever was inside, but curiosity overcoming her. Her reluctance quickly dissipated, though, when she saw a familiar shock of blue hair.

"Rei-kun?" she asked, puzzled.

He turned to face her, revealing a wet sheen on his eyes and the skin around them. "Kou-san," he acknowledged simply, the slightest sniffle audible.

"Are you upset, Rei-kun?" she asked as she stepped toward him. "We don't have the medal, but our team did win the medley..."

Rei sniffed haughtily. " _We_ didn't," he murmured. "I didn't participate, did I?"

Kou frowned. "But you gave up your place for onii-chan, didn't you? You wanted Haruka-senpai and Nagisa-kun and Makoto-senpai to be happy with him!"

"I didn't think they'd leave me behind!" Rei exclaimed. "I thought they liked swimming with me. I thought I was their friend."

Kou was startled. "But you are their friend, Rei-kun."

He sniffled again, startling her. She knew he could be flamboyant, yet she hadn't expected him to be so emotional, really. "Not much of one," he countered, "or they wouldn't have taken me out of their circle when Rin came back."

"They have been friends for a long time..." Kou said lamely as she awkwardly patted his back.

"Their friendship is beautiful," Rei replied. "But I wanted to be part of the beauty too."


End file.
